Strength of Will
by Frosty Wolf
Summary: A person can get carried along the road of life by the whims of others, or they can take life firmly in hand and decide their own future. Failing the entrance exam once taught Minato that. Now he isn't content to simply exist anymore, he plans to live!


Disclaimer: I do not own Sekirei and I am not making any money off of this story.

After failing the entrance exam for the first time, Minato decides that it's time for him to step up his game. It's not enough to simply survive anymore. It's time for him to live!

This chapter takes place exactly one year before canon, the day of the exam results posting, just after Minato failed his entrance exam for the first time. This will not be a particularly long chapter, which is why I've labeled it a prologue, something I usually don't put in my stories. But this chapter will set the stage for the character that I am trying to build. Minato will not be incredibly out of character, but he will have more common sense and backbone than in canon.

* * *

><p>Prologue: Looking to the Future<p>

The results of the Tokyo University application exams were delivered the same way every year. The numbers of the students that had passed were posted outside where they could be checked by the people who had taken the exam. And like every year, there was a herd of prospective students waiting early in the morning to see if they had been some of the few to pass. He was just like the rest of them, if a bit more nervous than some.

When the results were finally posted, he waited for part of the mob to clear out before he tried to look for his number. Some left proudly, heads held high. Others did so quietly, or in a sort of daze. It wasn't hard to tell which of them had passed if you looked closely enough, but Minato was more concerned with his own results than with his at the moment.

When he was finally close enough to see the results he started scanning the sheet for his own number. The fact that they posted the numbers from lowest to highest helped out some. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket to be sure and then looked again to be sure.

Nothing, his number wasn't there. He had failed.

He'd known there was a real chance that he would fail; this was one of Japan's premiere schools after all. A lot of the people who took the exam didn't get in. But looking at the results like this, learning that everything he had done had been for nothing…

It left him cold inside.

Turning away from the board, Minato made his way back through the crowd. There was going to be fallout for this, he knew that, he just didn't want to deal with that right now.

What he wanted was to get something to eat, he had been so nervous about the results that he hadn't been able to eat breakfast this morning. With that decided, he went on his way. Fortunately for him there were a number of eateries near campus for students to enjoy.

* * *

><p>Once he had gotten seated at a local restaurant and given his order to the polite waitress, Minato took a moment to consider his situation.<p>

He had not applied to any other colleges, he had done very well in the preparation tests he had taken and didn't see the point. Besides, Tokyo University had been a long time dream of his, he'd put a lot of effort into trying to get in. He had enough money saved up to support him for maybe two or three months if his mother decided to pull his allowance. That would hopefully give him enough time to find work.

He had to give his mother a call soon. If he didn't she would give him a call demanding to know how he had done. She would also want to know what he was planning to do now, something he honestly didn't know yet.

He could wait a year and try again, to get into this school or another. He could give up and head back home, something that he really hated the thought of. Or he could try and make do with the education he had and try and make a living that way. Those were the only options that he could think of, none of which really appealed to him. The first option seemed a bit better than either of the alternatives though.

Knowing that he had some time until his order arrived, with the number of people seated around him, Minato pulled out his cell phone. There was really no reason to put this call off any longer. His mother was on speed dial, but he took a moment to gather himself while he typed out the number from memory.

"Hello," his mother answered in her usual strict tone.

"Hi mom," he greeted with an awkward smile that she couldn't see.

"How did you do?" She sounded like she already knew the answer but was waiting for him to confirm it.

"I didn't pass," the words came easier than he expect.

"I see," that followed with the familiar sound of her taking a drag from a cigarette. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm haven't decided yet," he replied honestly, even though he had a fair idea. "Could you give me a day to think it over? I should have an answer for you tomorrow."

Adding the time limit was important, otherwise his mother might end up calling him back in an hour or so demanding an answer. Her answer was delayed by another long drag from her cigarette.

"All right, give me a call when you've made a decision." The dial tone that followed said their conversation was over in her mind.

"…I love you too, mom." Pocketing the phone, Minato saw his waitress bringing his order over and decided to enjoy his food and deal with the rest of the world later. The brief conversation had been completely ignored by the rest of the room.

* * *

><p>The trip back to his sparse apartment was as uneventful as usual. It wasn't a great place, but it was affordable and in one of the safer parts of town, perfect for a prospective college student like him. The manager was pretty strict about noise and visitors, but he wasn't exactly the party type so it didn't affect him all that much. Though the rare surprise inspections he had to deal with was more than a bit irritating.<p>

He had just walking in the front door when his cell phone went off. A quick glance at the caller ID made him wince. Sighing, he decided to see what his sister wanted and opened his phone.

"Onii-chan, I heard you failed your exams." His sister sounded much perkier than he thought she should have discussing his failure, but that didn't surprise him very much. He just wandered if she had asked his mother about his results or if the woman had volunteered the information herself.

"That's right, I didn't manage to get in this year," Minato admitted.

"I knew it," his sister declared loudly. "I knew that you wouldn't get in."

Minato scowled at the phone, even though he knew that his sister couldn't see it. He knew that she probably didn't mean it the way it sounded, but it was still pretty rude.

"Thanks Yukari, that means a lot."

"I'm just saying, you should have tried for another school too. The odds of you getting in were always pretty slim."

"I know that. Now I've got a few things to take care of, talk to you later." With that abrupt dismissal, he hung up on her.

Minato usually had a lot more patience with his sister, but it had been a long day and he wasn't in the mood to deal with her right now. Besides, there were a few things that he had to take care of.

He had already decided that he was going to take the entrance exam again, but this time he would try for a few other colleges as well, just to be on the safe side. That should be enough to placate his mother. He would also have to find a part time job. His mother wasn't poor, not even close, but his allowance was far from huge. He could use the extra money. With cram school it was unlikely he would have time to work anything more anyway.

With a plan in mind, no matter how crude, he started to feel a bit better. This was a blow, but it wasn't the end of the world for him. He would just have to make the best of things until he had another chance.

It was time to create his future, not just let the current carry him forward.

* * *

><p>The next morning, he had made good on his promise and called his mother to let her know what he was planning. She had taken the news better than he had expected, listening to him lay out his plans before she really said anything. She agreed not to cut his allowance, but he had to get into some kind of school when the next exam period came around in a year. Her reaction had been a pleasant surprise.<p>

Maybe she wanted him to get into a good college as much as he did?

He hadn't heard from Yukari again. Whether she was ignoring him deliberately for hanging up on her or simply had other things going on he wasn't sure. But it didn't really matter to him either way, so he let it go.

He still planned to find work, even without the expected drop in his allowance. It would give him something to do, put some cash in his pocket, and would give him something else to put on his resume. The trick was finding a place to hire him. He would have to ask around; maybe one of his friends would know something.

Tokyo had a decent number of cram schools, due in no small part to the number of universities within it. The trick was to find one that he could afford and get to without a car. Fortunately, he had some time to find something before they started. Exams had just taken place after all.

With no real destination in mind, Minato let himself just wander around. It was fairly cool this time of year, but not as bad as the country was, so with his jacket on he was comfortable enough. After more than an hour of aimless wandering, he let himself take a break in a small park. With only a handful of trees and people around, Minato focused his attention on the most noticeable thing around.

Teito Tower, headquarters of Mid Bio Informatics, more commonly known as MBI, one of the most powerful companies in the world. It was supposed to be the tallest building in Tokyo. The business was less than twenty years old that seemed to have been built out of nothing, but it was the leader in many fields. This was the company that his mother worked for.

It had been built up from nothing by one man. That was something that he wanted to do.

Not start a company, not right now at least. But he wanted to make himself into something. Not necessarily famous, but something that he could be happy with. It didn't help that his own family didn't seem to expect much from him. But it was that drive that had brought him to Tokyo, and one setback was not going to stop him. He swore that quietly to himself, looking up at the imposing building.

He was going to get a chance to keep that promise, just not in a way he could have expected.

* * *

><p>And here is the first chapter of my newest story. A bit on the short side, like I said above but it was basically an introduction chapter, that's why I had it labeled a prologue. Now I will conclude this chapter with my usual notes.<p>

First, I have not decided who Minato will wing, but it will most likely be a mixture of his canon team and a couple of others. I am open to suggestions if people want to recommend someone, but I make no promises.

Second, the next chapter will take place about six or seven months after this chapter. It will continue to show some of the minor changes I've made. Minato may even meet his first Sekirei, though I can't say if he'll wing them or not.

Third, I am a full time college student working towards their bachelor's degree. With that and other responsibilities, I am not sure how quickly updates will come. I'll write when I can find the time and inspiration.

Fourth, this will not be a cliché OOC Super Minato. He'll still be the same guy, just with more of a backbone and common sense.

Fifth, I got Teito Tower from the Sekirei wiki. I do not know if the name is accurate or fan made, but it seems better than just calling it MBI Tower. Please let me know if anyone can confirm this. Until I'm proven wrong though, this is the name that I will go with.

Finally, please take a moment to review and let me know what you. I'll do my best to answer any questions that you have. And reviews can only make me update faster, I assure you.


End file.
